Indeed, I have been long absent and I do apologize. My only excuse is a remarkably warm, dry, beautiful summer that included lots of projects. First, I got the new patio that I have been lusting after for a couple of years. Second, I’ve gotten involved in several non-profit volunteer opportunities. Last, I’ve been canning. I make jams and jellies and pickles from June through September.

All that aside, I had a wonderful salad at the Woodsman Tavern this summer that resulted in me coming home and working on my own version. After pickling a reasonable amount of cauliflower, I had some leftover. Now, I have finally made the salad that meets my expectations. Allowing the cauliflower to sit in the dressing for 6 or more hours tenderizes the vegetable but doesn’t take all the crunch. It’s similar to the effect dressing has on coleslaw. The finished dish is beautiful and delicious.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower (about 1/2 of a small head)

1/4 cup Pesto (any kind you like. I used Buitoni’s All Natural Pesto with basil)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

salt to taste

1 tsp sugar or agave syrup

3 oz smoked trout, canned in olive oil

Pickled shallots (optional)

cherry tomatoes (optional)

Break the cauliflower into bite size florets and place in a ziplock bag. Mix pesto, olive oil, lemon juice, sugar and salt to taste in a bowl and pour over cauliflower.

Seal the bag and massage to get some of the dressing on each piece. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

If you want the pickled shallots, combine one thinly sliced shallot with 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp red wine vinegar. Let it sit for about an hour and voila! Time to eat!

Pour the cauliflower into your dish, toss a few halved cherry tomatoes and pickled shallots if you like and top with the drained trout.